Things I will Do BETTER in Social Media

It has been mentioned, I am a real estate broker and I attend search marketing conferences, marketing expos, and real estate classes designed to teach the latest in marketing techniques, how engage with consumers, generate new business leads, and build a stronger business. Yet one thing consistently misses the mark, building relationships. Here, at the end of 2014, I am finally reading UnMarketing Stop Marketing, Start Engaging.

In real estate, we are taught to push housing inventory to the public. Why? People want to see homes, that’s it. Social media platforms are full of property lists, search links, messages why people should work with us, and so on. I’ll admit. I’ve been more than guilty of this very social media “sin”. While working on webpages, with the goal to make them more user friendly, I Tweet out the links to the page hoping to receive some click through. Sometimes I am hoping just to index the page.

Whatever the intention, the messages receive no engagement nor does it help build relationships with the folks that have decided to connect on social platforms. At bare minimum the links serve to give people a look at what I do. Nothing more.

Personally, and professionally, I feel confident in my work. I stay educated and informed about current trends and do my best avoid pitfalls that cost clients time and money.

That is why I pledge, in 2015 and beyond, to stop marketing and start engaging. I will no longer be one dimensional and push content of my own making.

Instead, I’ll seek to provide information that is USEFUL and people can actually use. I will be less self serving and become a better steward of information.

This doesn’t mean I’ll stop blogging, making client property videos, reaching out to my sphere, and only share content written by others. It means I’ll incorporate other’s content into our social media streams that is useful, helps educate, and creates value. Not just me me me marketing.

Scott Stratton hits the mark really well in UnMarketing, published 2012, and I can’t wait to finish then start reading UnSelling, the followup book. If you happen to have read this post and haven’t read these books then I highly suggest it. Also, for a free look into the UnMarketing world check out the YouTube podcast, or subscribe the Podcast. I prefer YouTube because I like faces and been YouTube for nearly a decade.

With 2015 just around the corner are you keeping the status quo with business marketing or are you going to do it better?

About The Author

Toby graduated from the University of Washington and likes to blog about marketing ideas, stuff he is doing, and sometimes writes gibberish on his personal blog. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.